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Reviews
American Hustle (2013)
Goodfellas wanna-be
What a disappointment! After all the hype, ads, trailers, a group of us went to see American Hustle...and came out feeling "hustled." If you've seen this film and you haven't seen Goodfellas, rent it. Goodfellas blows this movie completely out of the water. Hustle is derivative, uninspired, brimming with one-dimensional acting. The music felt intrusive and too on the nose (although most of us liked the songs themselves). Granted, Bale is always at the top of his game, but the rest of the cast? Meh. We all did agree, though, that Louis C. K. actually felt like a real character. The set design was exceptional. But the costumes, hair, felt too "perfect" for the times depicted. Sorry, Mr. Russell. You're not Scorsese. Not even close...
Goats (2012)
A Must-See For Everyone Above The Age of 14!!!
What a sweet, funny, engaging film! I wasn't familiar with the young man who plays Ellis, the well-adjusted teenager, struggling between his mother's neediness and his father's reluctant love for him--but wow, he's wonderful. Someone told me he's in a television series entitled The Good Wife, and I'll make a point of watching that series now. Anyway...everyone in the film is terrific. I don't want to spoil it, so what I can tell you is the cinematography is beautiful; the acting is funny and totally right-on; the score is ideal for the story; and for once in a long while, I left the theater feeling really good about life. David Duchovny was a total surprise here--I have never been a fan of his, but he definitely pulled off the character of Goat Man, the inadvertently stable influence on young Ellis. He's a riot, and I'd like to see him playing more comedic roles. Vera Farmiga was totally convincing as the lost-in-space New Agey mother. I laughed and laughed, and so did the rest of the audience. Everyone in the theater enjoyed themselves, and were all commenting on what an enjoyable film we'd just seen. Please, please, please go see it when it comes out in theaters, I guarantee you'll laugh like mad. I plan to see it again and take my nieces and nephews and brother and sis as well!!!!!
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
Self-Indulgent, Exploitative, Insulting, Blatantly Manipulative
I was ready to sit down and open my heart and mind to this film...and as it progressed, I felt myself becoming uncomfortable...then angry...then furious! What an insult to the sensibilities and sacrifice of those who experienced and lost loved ones in the 9/11 tragedy. I could go on and on, but thinking about this movie and why the actors involved chose to be a part of it is offensive to the point of anguish. There is a compelling story about 9/11 out there, but this is most certainly NOT the one. I cannot in decent conscience recommend this movie to anyone. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, MONEY, OR EMOTIONS ON THIS FILM.
Lovin' Molly (1974)
Lovin' MollyLeaving Cheyenne
It's seems clear that Sidney Lumet was unfamiliar with the setting, the characters, the story...I mean, Gid is a cowboy wearing OVERALLS--Gid's NOT a farmer! He was afraid of Texas, and moved back east to New Jersey to shoot the remainder of the film--no wonder the film looks like a TV movie. It should have been directed by someone else, someone who understood the place, and written by a screenwriter who understood the characters and story, like McMurtry himself, perhaps??? Maybe someday it will be re-done, and done justly. It's a moving and complex story, one that deserves to be told in the affecting way it's written. Eastwood as director? It spans a 45-year period, and though challenging, with the appropriate writer and director and actors would make for a timeless, memorable film.